Beginning with his final departure from Neverland, Untouchable takes listeners through Jackson's final four years, as he shuttled from California to the Middle East, Ireland, Asia, the East Coast, and Las Vegas, planning to recapture his wealth and reputation with a comeback album and a series of 50 mega-concerts, for which he was rehearsing until the day before his death. Sullivan has never-before-reported information about Jackson's business dealings and the pedophilia allegations that irreparably marked his reputation, and he had exclusive access to inner-circle figures.

Remember the Time: Protecting Michael Jackson in His Final Days

Hounded by the tabloid media, driven from his self-made sanctuary at Neverland, Michael Jackson spent his final years moving from city to city, living with his three children in virtual seclusion - a futile attempt to escape a world that wouldn’t leave him alone. During that time, two men served as the singer’s personal security team: Bill Whitfield, a former cop and veteran of the security profession, and Javon Beard, a brash, untested rookie, both single fathers themselves. Stationed at his side nearly 24/7, their job was to see and hear everything that transpired.

My Friend Michael: An Ordinary Friendship with an Extraordinary Man

Everyone knows Michael Jackson - the myth. This is the revealing true story of Michael Jackson - the man. To Frank Cascio, Michael Jackson was many things - second father, big brother, boss, mentor, and teacher, but most of all he was a friend. Though Cascio was just a few years old when he first met Jackson in 1984, at the peak of the pop star’s career, Jackson was at the center of his life for the next twenty-five years.

Michael Jackson, Inc.: The Rise, Fall and Rebirth of a Billion-Dollar Empire

Michael Jackson, Inc. reveals the incredible rise, fall, and rise again of Michael Jackson's fortune - driven by the unmatched perfectionism of the King of Pop. Forbes senior editor Zack O'Malley Greenburg uncovers never-before-told stories from interviews with more than 100 people, including music industry veterans Berry Gordy, John Branca, and Walter Yetnikoff; artists 50 Cent, Sheryl Crow, and Jon Bon Jovi; and members of the Jackson family.

Behind the Candelabra: My Life with Liberace

In this unusually frank book Scott Thorson, Liberace's longtime lover, tells all: the good, the bad, and the ugly truths about the legendary entertainer who went to outrageous extremes to prevent public knowledge of his homosexuality. Liberace's unhappy childhood, dominated by a mother determined to force him into a concert career, serves as the prologue for a story that goes on to detail Liberace's early appearances in honky-tonks, his move to New York to seek fame, and, finally, his first booking in Las Vegas, where he was courted by the Mafia.

Michael Jackson: The Final Years: A Selection from Michael Jackson: The Magic, The Madness, The Whole Story, 1958-2009

In this production, author J. Randy Taraborrelli who spent more than 35 years researching his biography, reflects on the death of Michael Jackson. What if Michael Jackson was never accused of molestation? Why did the Santa Maria molestation trials destroy Michael? What was Michael's life like in his final years? So much has how been said and written about the life and career of Michael Jackson that it has become almost impossible to disentangle the man from the myth.

Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson

In late December 2008, New York Times best-selling author Ian Halperin told the world that Michael Jackson had only six months to live. His investigations into Jackson's failing health made headlines around the globe. Six months later, the King of Pop was dead. Whatever the final autopsy results reveal, it was greed that killed Michael Jackson.

Before He Wakes: A True Story of Money, Marriage, Sex and Murder

The true story of Barbara Stager, a devoted mother, loving wife, and dedicated church leader who committed an almost perfect crime. By all accounts, Stager seemed to lead the perfect life in her community in Durham, North Carolina. After her husband, popular high school coach Russ, died tragically, the police were inclined to believe her story - that she accidentally shot him. Suspicions rose when the police discovered that Stager's previous husband had died similarly 10 years prior.

Bitter Blood: A True Story of Southern Family Pride, Madness, and Multiple Murder

In this unrelenting real-life drama of three wealthy families connected by marriage and murder, Bledsoe recounts the shocking events, obsessive love, and bitter custody battles that led toward the bloody climax that took nine lives.

The Peter Lawford Story: Life with the Kennedys, Monroe, and the Rat Pack

As the brother in law to JFK and a member of the Rat Pack, Peter Lawford was one of America's most acclaimed movie stars. Lawford led an extraordinary life. His story, as told by the woman who knew him best, is the always candid, sometimes shocking unveiling of the most intriguing show business personalities and significant political events of our time.

Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley

This concluding volume recounts the second half of Elvis' life in rich and previously unimagined detail, and confirms Guralnick's status as one of the great biographers of our time. Beginning with Presley's army service in Germany in 1958 and ending with his death in Memphis in 1977, Careless Love chronicles the unraveling of the dream that once shone so brightly, homing in on the complex playing-out of Elvis' relationship with his Machiavellian manager, Colonel Tom Parker.

Body Dump

In October, 1996, young, pretty, and petite women began vanishing off the streets of Poughkeepsie, New York. Most were prostitutes and some were addicts. By August, 1998, the toll had reached eight, when a prostitute told police she had barely escaped being strangled by Kendall Francois, 27, a 6'4", 300-lb. middle school hall monitor whose slovenly personal hygiene had earned him the nickname "Stinky". Inside his house, the smell was worse, as investigators discovered a tangle of rotting flesh and bones.

The Last Party: Studio 54, Disco, and the Culture of the Night

In the disco days and nights of New York City in the 1970s and 1980s, the place to be was Studio 54. Andy Warhol, Liza Minnelli, and Bianca Jagger were among the nightly assortment of A-list celebrity regulars consorting with New York's young, wild, and beautiful.

From the author's first glimpse of a magical recording studio in the mid-1960s up through a busy career that continues to the present day, this rollicking story can only be told by those that were there. As the young tape operator on sessions for the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, and Joe Cocker at the famed Olympic Sound Studios in London, Phill learned the ropes from experienced engineers and producers such as Glyn Johns and Eddie Kramer.

Hughes: The Private Diaries, Memos and Letters: The Definitive Biography of the First American Billionaire

In "the most exciting bio of the year," Richard Hack uses recently uncovered (and in some cases, recently declassified) personal letters, court testimony, FBI files, autopsy reports and exclusive interviews to reveal the man who was a legendary lover, record-setting aviator, award-winning film producer, talented inventor, ultimate eccentric, and, for much of his lifetime, the richest man in the United States.

Elvis and Ginger: Elvis Presley's Fiancée and Last Love Finally Tells Her Story

Elvis Presley and Graceland were fixtures in the life of Ginger Alden, having been born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. But she had no idea that she would play a part in that enduring legacy - as Elvis Presley’s fiancée, and his last great love. For over three decades Ginger has held the truth of their relationship close to her heart. Now she shares her unique story, and while a lot has been written about the King, the Elvis we meet in this long-anticipated memoir is a revelation.

To mark the 40th anniversary of the Watergate scandal, The Washington Post's seminal Watergate stories have been gathered together for the first time as an audiobook, including a foreword by journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein assessing the impact of their stories 40 years later.

Tearing Down the Wall of Sound: The Rise and Fall of Phil Spector

Phil Spector, born in the Bronx in 1940, grew up an outsider despised by his peers. But he formed a band, and had a number-one hit with "To Know Him Is to Love Him". He quickly became the top producer of early rock and roll and the originator of such girl groups as the Ronettes. Hit followed hit, and for all of them he used a new recording style called the "wall of sound". But the reign of the boy-man who owned pop music was doomed, and Spector spiraled into paranoid isolation and peculiar behavior.

Publisher's Summary

Beginning with his final departure from Neverland, Untouchable takes listeners through Jackson's final four years, as he shuttled from California to the Middle East, Ireland, Asia, the East Coast, and Las Vegas, planning to recapture his wealth and reputation with a comeback album and a series of 50 mega-concerts, for which he was rehearsing until the day before his death. Sullivan also delves deep into Jackson's past, and the man that emerges is both naive and deeply cunning, a devoted father whose parenting decisions created an international outcry, a shrewd businessman whose successes blew up in his face and whose failures nearly brought down a megacorporation, and an inveterate narcissist who wanted more than anything a quiet, solitary, normal life.

Sullivan has never-before-reported information about Jackson's business dealings and the pedophilia allegations that irreparably marked his reputation. He had exclusive access to inner-circle figures, including Jackson's former attorney and business manager. The result is a remarkable portrait of Michael Jackson, a man of uncountable contradictions who continues to reign as the King of Pop.

Expected a comprehensive bio of the king of pop. Instead, the author emphasizes the final few years of Jackson's life. Lots of details about his finances. Surprisingly, Jackson's early years and his music get a lesser treatment. The whole story has a tabloid feel to it with lots of lurid details.

Get a complete story of the events that took place in MJ's life. The people who surrounded him and controlled him. How uninvolved, unaware, and uninformed MJ was of the aspects of his career that were so vital to his success and well-being. A very interesting story that sheds more light on the very reclusive Michael Jackson.

Being a fan of MJ since his beginnings, I found this book answered all of the questions. MJ was a complex human being, a brilliant man and performer, and the sum of his past. This book was incredible and sad and I could not stop listening. If anyone has based their own opinion on MJ from news sources - push the biased, tabloid opinions aside and try this book first. His family let him down and so did people he considered friends. I hope MJ finds peace now.

It was kinda scary how accurate this was. He's missing a few things, and heavily downplayed the involvement of the cascios, Lisa marie and some of his other horriable handlers such as trudy and Ramon. But he wasn't there. This is as good as it gets after frank casinos, J. Randy Tarroburelli and the bodyguards books.

Good insight into the God-awful childhood experiences which shaped Michael Jackson. I felt sorry for Jackson, and could certainly understand his erratic, extravagant behavior.

Would you be willing to try another book from Randall Sullivan? Why or why not?

Maybe.

Any additional comments?

This book was divided into four units, making it about two units too long. I tired of listening to various iterations of the same selfishness and infighting among family and the host of vultures who worked for Jackson, after the star had died. Evidently Jackson had very few people in his life who cared for him as a person more than the wealth they could get from being his "friend." Sad.

This book might not please some hard core fans of Michael Jackson, because it highlights the true Michael Jackson. It sheds light on the great things that made Michael Jackson loved by many, as well as the dark parts of Michael Jackson that earned him the nickname "Wacko Jacko". This book leaves you feeling a bit of pity for the star because he always wanted a normal life but never attained it. At the same time it allows you to see that money cant cure loneliness or heartache. Loved the book, but at times it was a little slow going and was hard to keep track of all the key players in the Michael Jackson saga. If youre looking for the hard but necessary truth about Michael's life this is a must read.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Michael of course. He had so many facets to his personality and he had such a impact on everyone he met.

Have you listened to any of Mel Foster’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Where does Untouchable rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I love bios and memoirs especially of fascinating characters. There is no disputing that Michael Jackson was and is one of the most polarizing and fascinating characters to grace the world stage. Therefore, I would rank this bio in my top 3 I've ever listened to in my life.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Untouchable?

The amount of research that went into this bio must have been an insanely staggering task. This has to be one of the most complicated studies of any human being as Michael and his life story is one of the most complicated stories of our time. Therefore, the most memorable thing about this listen was the absolute shocking amount of information contained within.

What does Mel Foster bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Reading this book, especially much of the court and legal dramas, could get quite dry. I wouldn't want to read this book. No way.

Any additional comments?

This is, no doubt, THE bio if you are interested in Michael Jackson. It remains objective and strictly sticks to the facts. It does not paint Michael in a negative light. It points out his extreme eccentric nature, flaws, his positives, and everything else in between that made him such an amazing figure in American history. What struck me and disgusted me was the extremely disgusting and dysfunctional nature of his ENTIRE family. The entire Jackson clan, with the exception of his children and his Mother Katherine, are the epitome of evil. And, of course, there were a slew of other characters that would weasel their way into Michael's life whom were deplorable souls destined for karmic h*ll fire for how they sought to take advantage of him as a, virtual, ATM machine. This book has it all. 5 Stars / Excellent. I only took one star off for the narration as much of it gets a bit monotone but I don't see any other way the reader would have communicated such an ENOURMOUS amount of information any other way. The narrator does do a good job of changing his voice to highlight dialogue from the massive cast of characters he has to deal with within this book but some may find it doesn't have enough character. I found it to be easy to listen to and would not let it turn you away from the listen. Worth every penny / credit.

First thing to get on the table - Michael Jackson fans can be as crazy as their idol was. No doubt about that. He was so iconic - like very few others have been, Elvis is the obvious comparison - and both men had their share of crazy fans who would/will hear no wrong.

Did Michael Jackson do wrong things in his life? Yes, of course he did. He wasn't a saint. His list of controversies include his money, his private relationships, his business relationships, his family, his skin colour, his use of prescription drugs, his children, whether he did or did not abuse children, his relationship with the media, his plastic surgery - wow - the list continues. Anyone who thinks that he strolled through all of these issues without doing wrong to anyone and whilst maintaining a position only as a victim of exploitation - they're wilfully determined to deny the truth of the man.

This book comes across as being balanced. At times it paints a picture of a likeable human being and you can't help but think - 'how could this man find a well adjusted adult condition in his life, after what he went through?'. At other times the book is unflinching and presents the reader with compelling evidence of where Michael Jackson lied to the world, his fans, the media - and probably himself. The overall impression that I've been left with is that Michael Jackson was thoroughly untrustworthy - sometimes telling barefaced lies, sometimes telling people what they wanted to hear, and often hiding from himself.

The book doesn't shy away from the ugliness that surrounded Michael Jackson's genius. It isn't determined to press the reader into drawing specific conclusions either - particularly on the issue of whether he was or was not a child abuser. I find this refreshing. This isn't a monochromatic telling of his life - it is vivid, it has colour and it has personality. At times it is geniunely shocking. At times your heart goes out to Jackson, and at times you will find him incredibly deplorable.

The accuracy of the book? I can't say. The author is detailed and corroborates and references himself meticulously, but I haven't checked his sources. I have read other reviews that suggest that Jackson was significantly misquoted by the author at significant points. In the section where it tells of the 'Life Time Achievement Award' given to Jackson in London, where Jarvis Cocker took to the stage in protest, Sullivan is definitely misleading though:

He suggests that Cocker mounted the stage, interrupted the performance, and mimed a fart at Jackson. Sullivan states that afterwards British pop culture was enraptured with Cocker for the protest and he became a icon.

The truth is that Cocker had been a brit pop icon for some years, and if anything, at the time he was on the way out of the public eye. He didn't mime a fart at Jackon, he struck a characteristic pose that was part of his well known, slightly nerdish but stylised act. Afterwards people did applaud Jarvic Cocker, but he wasn't hoisted onto anyone's shoulders. Sullivan references Noel Gallagher (from Oasis) who apparently said that Cocker should've got a knighthood from the palace - I've no doubt that Gallagher did say that - but it's a throw away sarcastic northern comment, not a genuine endorsement for an honour. Neither Jarvis Cocker nor Noel Gallgher would be likely to bother with the British Honours system anyway.

So this moment gave me the idea that, as compelling as the book it, and as clear and transparent as it appears to be - no matter how well researched it seems to be - it is still a prism though which you're looking at a profoundly post-modern icon - and there is always going to be some measure of discolouration and inaccuracy as a result.

Over all, if you're a fan, if you simply curious, if you're someone who loves biographies (as I am) - yes, I would recommend this. It is entertaining and you'll enjoy it.

If you're one of those people who takes to the internet in tears for St. Michael Jackson - don't bother, this is not what you're looking for. Cloud cuckoo land is somewhere else.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

manna

7/7/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"Untouchable"

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes I would suggest this and in particular to fans of Michael. A mixture of endearing and troubling chronicles of his life which help to better understand his life and problems.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Untouchable?

The battles with his family in particular his brothers were eye opening and sad. And the sheer greed of everyone around Michael.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not really. It's rather long and sometimes quite heavy with the facts and numbers. Definitely easier to digest in sittings.

Any additional comments?

It first read like a gossip column but through perseverance, it began to delve a lot deeper and I'm glad I stuck it out.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

Report Inappropriate Content

If you find this review inappropriate and think it should be removed from our site, let us know. This report will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.

Your report has been received. It will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.

Can't wait to hear more from this listener?

You can now follow your favorite reviewers on Audible.

When you follow another listener, we'll highlight the books they review, and even email* you a copy of any new reviews they write. You can un-follow a listener at any time to stop receiving their updates.

* If you already opted out of emails from Audible you will still get review emails by the listeners you follow.